Castro, Ryan W.Taetzsch, ThomasVaughan, Sydney K.Godbe, KerilynChappell, John C.Settlage, Robert E.Valdez, Gregorio2020-07-312020-07-312020-06-252050-084Xe56935http://hdl.handle.net/10919/99458Perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs) are specialized, non-myelinating, synaptic glia of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), that participate in synapse development, function, maintenance, and repair. The study of PSCs has relied on an anatomy-based approach, as the identities of cell-specific PSC molecular markers have remained elusive. This limited approach has precluded our ability to isolate and genetically manipulate PSCs in a cell specific manner. We have identified neuron-glia antigen 2 (NG2) as a unique molecular marker of S100 beta+ PSCs in skeletal muscle. NG2 is expressed in Schwann cells already associated with the NMJ, indicating that it is a marker of differentiated PSCs. Using a newly generated transgenic mouse in which PSCs are specifically labeled, we show that PSCs have a unique molecular signature that includes genes known to play critical roles in PSCs and synapses. These findings will serve as a springboard for revealing drivers of PSC differentiation and function.application/pdfenCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 InternationalArticle - Refereedhttps://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.56935932584256